There are many ways to make Bruschetta and all of them equally divine. My first time sampling these delicious little bites was in the early 90’s when my boss’s wife made them for a function she was hosting at her house. I called them Kathy’s Crostini’s when she gave me the recipe. She added goat cheese to hers which is equally delicious. Over the years the recipe has changed. Husband loves Bruschetta and orders it often as an appetizer when we eat out.

I recently made Bruschetta the same night we had Arugula & Prosciutto Crostini knowing he would prefer the Bruschetta. Bonus points for wifey ;).

Preheat oven to 400F. Ensure top rack is moved up in oven. Place sliced baguette on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Put in oven and toast 4-5 minutes or until starting to brown. Turn them over, drizzle a little more olive oil and give them another minute in the oven. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a bowl mix together tomatoes, garlic, basil, 1-2 tbsp olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and salt. Mix and taste for seasoning. Add in a little more salt as needed. Set bowl aside until ready to serve.

When ready to serve put bruschetta mixture on toasted baguette pieces and serve immediately. This also pairs nicely with a Moscato D’Asti (wine).

Another recipe on the radar for awhile…..I love anything with coconut. I finally pulled the chicken out of the freezer and got them into the marinade. Then after a long day and with an activity night ahead of us, I decided against grilling the chicken and opted for quick sandwiches instead. It was just one of those days.

The chicken ended up getting grilled the next night and as such marinating for 24 hours. Uh, yum. The coconut did it’s job and the chicken was delicious but did not have an overpowering coconut flavour.

Combine all ingredients in ziplock bag, except chicken. Swishy the bag to incorporate and mix up ingredients. Remove 1/2 cup of the marinade, cover and refrigerate.

Add chicken to the bag, close bag and move around to marry it with the marinade. Marinate for a minimum 30 minutes up to several hours if you have the time.

When ready to grill remove chicken from the marinade. Grill over medium heat for approximate 15 – 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Keep an eye on them as flare ups may occur and the skin will get quite charred.

I’ve made these skewers too many times to count over the years. Oddly enough I have never posted the recipe to the blog.

The photo is not the best and taken just after the kabobs came off the grill. (Husband skewered them which is why they appear unevenly skewered.) Sometimes when you have guests waiting and smelling the food, trying to get the perfect shot doesn’t always work. And sometimes husband grabs the camera and starts taking pictures without thinking about the end result (keener to get a better shot than me). Will try and take a better photo next time.

I came across this recipe a couple of weeks ago and thought what a great way to start the day. It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish so allow time to make it if you have a busy morning.

Also note you can add whatever toppings you like or have in your pantry. I used cranberries, raisins, apricots and almonds. I’m happy to have found another super food to add into the breakfast rotation of egg whites, oatmeal, red river cereal and yogurt! This is a very filling breakfast. Quinoa is also a great source of protein/iron.

Pour your milk into a sauce pan and heat over medium high heating watching & stirring regularly so as not to burn the milk. Bring to a light boil and then turn heat down to a simmer. Add in your spice if using and then add your quinoa. Cover pot and simmer for 12 minutes. Again watching so your milk does not boil over (yes this happened to me!).

At 12 minutes remove from heat, fluff and let sit covered for an additional 15 minutes.

Spoon cooked quinoa into a bowl. You can add more milk if you wish and whatever toppings you want. Drizzle a little honey or maple syrup on top and more cinnamon if using. Yum!

In a pan over medium-high heat add your cream and heat until it is steaming (not boiling).

In a bowl whisk together your egg yolks with your sugar. Mix well. Now you need to temper your eggs. Pour in 1/4 cup of the hot cream and mix well. Then pour in another 1/2 cup of the hot cream, mixing well again. At this point your eggs should be tempered and you can slowly pour the rest of the hot cream in. Whisk and add vanilla. Skim off foam with a spoon.

Add a minimum 6 raspberries to each ramekin. Pour egg mixture into ramekin with raspberries. Place in a large casserole pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of ramekins.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until edges set, centres still jiggle and toothpick inserted comes out creamy. Remove from water bath and let cool on racks. Once cooled relocate to the fridge, cover and leave for several hours until set.

Turn oven to Broil and move oven rack up. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle sugar evenly over entire top of ramekins. Broil approx. 6 inches from heat for 2 – 5 minutes or until sugar bubbles and darkens. Remove from oven and let cool down enough to place back in fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

To serve put single ramekin on a place and sprinkle fresh raspberries on top.

I really like bulgur wheat. I’ve been eating it in tabouleh for over 20 years. One more thing I can thank my mom for since she is the one who first ventured into the world of tabouleh and healthy eating many moons ago.

Thing is you can add almost anything to grains and make them yummy. I would eat them every day if I could.

This combination of flavours is lovely. The grapes add sweetness. The feta is salty and tangy lime. The toasted walnuts bring a whole new flavour profile of nutty goodness to the salad. And the arugula brings a tangy zest that does not overpower or get overpowered by the rest of the family. Simply Delicious.

Place bulgur in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and give a quick stir. Cover bowl and let sit 20-30 minutes or until water is absorbed and bulgur tender.

Stir in lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add your cheese, grapes, walnuts and green onions. Mixing well. Spoon into a bowl or on a plate and top with a good handful of arugula. Serve immediately.

Hard to believe I’ve gone over a decade without making a gazpacho. It’s a cold summer soup with a delicious blend of flavours. I also find it sort of a palate cleanser. It was a last minute addition to my dinner Saturday night and as such I served it as a gazpacho shooter. It was divine.

Note salt is important in this soup to bring out the flavours. So do not skimp on the salt!

This makes at least 4-6 servings if you are not serving it in a shooter glass. If you are going with the shooter theme it makes at least 8 cups or too many soup shooters to count.

Let’s begin….
Halve tomatoes crosswise and squeeze out juice/seeds into strainer set over bowl (you want to keep the juice, not the seeds). Reserve juice. Dice tomato and put into bowl with juice.

In bowl add cucumber through salt. Give a quick mix and then pour into a blender. Pulse and blend until smooth. You made need to do this in 2 batches. Pour into a covered bowl or tupperware type container and refrigerate for a minimum 4 hours.

Dice some cucumber, tomato and red onion. Place in a bowl and set aside as a garnish.

Take soup out, stir and when ready to serve pour into a bowl or in my case shot glasses (I love serving soup this way). Sprinkle some of the garnish on top and serve with a small spoon. This soup is a little thicker and as such a small spoon may be required.